5 penalized for tampering VECO meters

Five men were penalized recently for tampering electric meters installed by the Visayan Electric Company.

Rahel Abatayo and Ronald Bosbos were each fined P10,000 after being found guilty by Regional Trial Court Branch 58 judge Gabriel Ingles, who also ordered them to pay P1,930 in actual damages.

Abatayo and Bosbos were caught in the act of tampering a VECO electric meter in St. Jude Acres, barangay Bulacao.

Meanwhile, RTC Branch 20 judge Bienvenido Saniel found Gamaliel Racaza and Eduardo Castroverde, both of Purok 8, barangay Camputhaw, guilty of tampering electric meters and ordered each of them to pay a P10,000 fine.

On the other hand, Lucio de la Torre of Talisay City was ordered by the court to pay P10,000 fine on top of the P379,139.28 amount of electricity which he had stolen from VECO.

De la Torre, owner of a welding shop, was found guilty of violating RA 7832, or the Anti-Pilferage Act of 1994, after he was caught stealing electricity by directly tapping to a VECO electric line. His service connection was earlier disconnected after he failed to pay his bills.

"We welcome these convictions for pilferage of electricity on behalf of VECO and its customers. Pilferage of electricity is a grave crime that contributes to VECO's systems of losses. Under our current rate structure, a reduction of pilferage could actually result in lower electricity rates of our customers," said Ario A. G. Sarmiento, VECO's associate vice president for Utilities and Economics Department, in a statement sent to The Freeman. - Liv G. Campo